Trending Now

You are here

SISD announces dress code

The Sweetwater Independent School District completed a process last year which included public input, surveys and a committee of students, parents, teachers, principals and administrators to come up with an improved dress code for Sweetwater ISD schools. "We began with a public forum months ago where the students modeled standard attire. Although standard attire did not receive the majority of votes, a definite majority supported change," stated Assistant Superintendent Kathy Smartt. "The committee worked diligently to address the specific concerns of sagging and cleavage. The key will be consistent enforcement which has been addressed by the leadership team."The updates to the school dress code for next year have been finalized and adopted by the SISD Board of Trustees and are as follows.Pants, shorts, slacks, skorts and skirts: • Must be worn at the natural waist (no more than one size larger than the natural waist size). • Belts must be worn appropriately in belt loops and at the natural waist. • Extremely torn/unhemmed clothing will not be permitted. • Pants may have no holes showing skin. All holes revealing skin must be mended with a like-colored material patch. • Shorts, skorts, dresses and skirts may end no more than 3 ½ inches above the top of the kneecap. If garments have slits, the top of the slit must not be more than 3 ½ inches above the top of kneecap. • Sleepwear, including pajama pants, is not permitted. Tops, Shirts: • NO halter tops, tube tops, or tops with the shoulder straps less than 1 inch wide. • NO tops that show cleavage, which is defined by the Webster’s Dictionary as the depression between a woman's breasts especially when made visible by a low-cut neckline. • NO nude or see-through tops, including sheer garments, without proper underclothing that meets the dress code. • All racer/razor back tops must have all other straps covered beneath the shirt, unless the undershirt follows the dress code. • Tops and bottoms must meet at the waist and can not reveal bare skin, or midriff, while the student is sitting. • No tall t-shirts, unless deemed size appropriate by the principal or designee. • All boys’ shirts must have sleeves. • No clothing or jewelry is allowed that advertises, depicts or advocates tobacco, alcohol, drugs, illegal substances, gangs, has sexual representations or connotations or displays lewd or offensive statements. References to death, murder or suicide are prohibited. Shoes: • Specifically prohibited footwear is bathroom slippers (without a hard sole) or footwear not intended for outdoors wear. • Any shoes that are deemed unsafe are prohibited. Accessories: • NO hats, caps, sweat bands, visors or any other type of head covering, including hoodies. • NO visible piercing of the body except for girls’ ears. Boys are not allowed to wear earrings or studs. • NO visible gauging or spacers. • NO visible tattoos. • NO dog collars, choker-chains, any spiked metal necklaces, wallet chains, wrist bands, or safety pins. Chains on pants or other garments are prohibited. • Bandanas are not allowed on campus. Hair and Grooming: • Students must wear their hair clean and well groomed at all times. • Extreme modes of hair design, including Mohawks or color, will not be permitted. • Faux-hawks must not exceed 2 inches. • Hair must be styled so that eyebrows are visible and hair does not hide the eyes. • Only natural hair colors will be permitted. • Facial hair, including beards, mustaches and sideburns, extending below the earlobes is prohibited. Any style in hair or dress that is extreme or inappropriate to the point that causes undue or critical attention to the wearer is subject to question and approval by administration. Students who violate the Dress Code will be referred to the Principal’s office. The final decision regarding a dress code violation is at the discretion of the campus Principal or designee. Employee Dress Code Employees will be expected to adhere to the student standard of dress or higher, with the exception of facial hair.